Carriage body for a rail vehicle and method for producing said carriage body

ABSTRACT

A carriage body for a rail vehicle, in particular for a high-speed train, said carriage body having a base and lateral walls that extend upwards on opposing sides of the base. The base and the lateral walls delimit an interior of the carriage body for transporting persons and/or goods. A longitudinal support for transmitting longitudinal forces is located in each transitional region between the base and the lateral walls, said longitudinal support extending in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body. The carriage body has at least one undercarriage support that extends below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support, said undercarriage support extending partly at a distance to the base so that a space for receiving at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is formed between the undercarriage support and the base.

The invention relates to a carriage body for a rail vehicle, in particular for a high-speed train, wherein the carriage body has a base and lateral walls that extend upwards on opposing sides of the base and wherein the base and the lateral walls delimit an interior of the carriage body for transporting persons and/or goods. The invention further relates to a rail vehicle with such a carriage body, a method for producing the carriage body, and a method for producing the rail vehicle.

The operation of rail vehicles requires various devices such as voltage transformers, control devices for controlling other mechanisms, containers for fluids, pumps for said fluids, brake system mechanisms, and power distributors. These devices are arranged on the lower face of the base, especially in carriages for high-speed trains. For example, DE 19949243 C1 discloses that the floor structure has receptacles on its lower face for fixing adapter elements. The adapter elements are configured for the fixing of a profile frame. The profile frame is composed of frame segments that are configured with means for fixing undercarriage arrays and devices. The devices are suspended on the profile frame.

Undercarriage (i.e., arranged below the base of the carriage body) devices can vary in weight. For instance, a voltage transformer may weigh several tons, whereas a power distributor weighs only a few kilograms. So as not to impair the driving characteristics of the carriage, the weight needs to be balanced, i.e., arrangement of all of the particularly heavy devices in the front of the carriage and all of the lightweight devices in the rear of the carriage, for example, should be avoided. In the direction transverse to the direction of travel, the particularly heavy devices should be located with their center of gravity in the middle of the carriage body and the overall center of gravity of the undercarriage devices should also be located as much as possible in the middle of the carriage body. However, since the devices also vary considerably in volume and need to be hooked up to, e.g., cables or fluid lines, the site for fixing the individual devices cannot be freely chosen. In many cases at least one specific local area is required for the accommodation of a specific device, or it is necessary to plan for additional connecting lines or cables. Furthermore, producing connections for the devices directly below the base of the carriage body is difficult. In the production of the carriage, assembly can be simplified by first fixing and connecting the devices in the undercarriage area and then assembling other mechanisms and parts of the carriage. However, more effort is then required for disconnecting and reconnecting the connections and dismantling the devices during the eventual maintenance and repair thereof. In addition, even arranging particularly heavy devices below the base contributes to the overall center of gravity of the carriage lying above the tracks. With a mount on the lower face of the base, which enables a lower-lying arrangement of heavy devices, it is possible to lower the center of gravity. However, such an additional mount, though stable, increases the overall weight of the carriage.

An object of the present invention is to propose a carriage body, a rail vehicle with a carriage body, a method for producing the carriage body, and a method for producing a rail vehicle with the carriage body that facilitate the installation of undercarriage devices, do not lead to a substantial increase in the overall weight, provide options in terms of the position of the devices below the base, and permit a low position of the overall center of gravity of the carriage.

Proposed is the arrangement of at least one undercarriage support below the base of the carriage body that extends from the one side of the carriage body to the other side and thereby leaves a space between said support and the base for accommodating at least one device. Sides of the carriage body between which the undercarriage support extends are understood to mean the left- and right-hand sides in the direction of travel on which the lateral walls of the carriage body are located.

In particular the undercarriage support can assume a U-shaped contour from the one side to the opposing side. At its ends (i.e., on the sides of the carriage body), the undercarriage support is connected to bearing parts of the carriage body, in particular and in each case to a longitudinal support of the carriage body, which transmits longitudinal forces in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body. Such longitudinal supports are usually located in the transitional region between the base and the lateral walls. In particular during the production of the carriage body according to the present invention, the base is first connected to the longitudinal supports, next the undercarriage structure is assembled, and then the lateral walls are connected to the longitudinal supports. The fixing of the undercarriage support to bearing parts of the carriage body permits the weight of at least one of the devices arranged on the undercarriage to rest on the undercarriage support, or the weight of the device to be exerted at least partly, preferably mostly, and particularly preferably entirely on the undercarriage support. In an expedient example of embodiment, a device is positioned directly on the undercarriage support such that it is located in the space between the undercarriage support and the base of the carriage body, i.e., arranged in the zone of the cross member in the case of a U-shaped support. Owing to the limited height of the space beneath the base of a carriage body to the track bed and owing to the usually broader width of a rail vehicle, as a rule the cross member of the U is longer than both longitudinal members.

The invention is based on the finding that a relatively lightweight undercarriage support can be configured in a very stable manner such that it is able to receive weight from devices to be arranged on the undercarriage. Furthermore, such an undercarriage support is easily fixed to bearing parts (such as the longitudinal supports in particular) in the transitional region between the base and the lateral walls. The weight can thus be transmitted directly and in an expedient manner to the bogies via the undercarriage support and the bearing parts.

The mounting of undercarriage devices directly on the undercarriage support, preferably on the lowest place thereof or in the low-lying area at a distance to the base of the carriage body, results in the carriage having a low center of gravity. Furthermore, connections to the devices are more easily established because the connecting lines and cables usually pass through the base or are routed on the lower face of the base. Between devices that do not extend over the entire height of the space between the undercarriage support and the base of the carriage body, there is a clearance to the base that facilitates the establishment of connections. Furthermore, the undercarriage support is such that a device does not have to be fixed at a specific position along the support. Other criteria can therefore be considered in the selection of the exact position. This is especially true when provision is made of at least two rather than just one such undercarriage support. In this case provision can be made of additional elements that, along with the undercarriage supports, are parts of a substructure. Such elements will be discussed in greater detail later on. Depending upon the configuration of these elements, the undercarriage devices can be selectively fixed to or arranged on the additional elements of the substructure. If several undercarriage supports are present, preference is given to the clearance between the supports being at least partly closed by preferably plate-shaped elements. For example, such a plate-shaped element can form a sub-base, which preferably extends in the horizontal direction and approximately parallel to the actual base of the carriage body. A plate-shaped element can alternatively or additionally form a lateral wall of the undercarriage region. These plate-shaped elements between the undercarriage supports improve the aerodynamics of the carriage.

In particular proposal is made of the following: a carriage body for a rail vehicle, in particular for a high-speed train, wherein the carriage body has a base and lateral walls extending upwards on opposing sides of the base and wherein the base and the lateral walls delimit an interior of the carriage body for the transport of persons and/or goods, wherein a longitudinal support for transmitting longitudinal forces is located in each transitional region between the base and the lateral walls, said longitudinal support extending in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, and wherein the carriage body has at least one undercarriage support that extends below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support, wherein the undercarriage support extends partly at a distance to the base so that a space for receiving at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is formed between the undercarriage support and the base, wherein the weight of the device acts on the undercarriage support.

The space between the lateral walls and the base, which is typically also delimited above by a roof, is the space for transporting persons and/or goods (such as commodities), whereas the devices to be arranged on the undercarriage are arranged below the floor of this transport space. The floor of the transport space, which is also the base of the carriage body and which has a bearing structure, is usually located a few decimeters to 1.5 m above the height of the tracks of the vehicle. The bogies by which the carriage body is supported on the tracks are also typically connected to the base, whereas the function of the at least one undercarriage support is to receive loads from undercarriage devices and to introduce the corresponding forces into the carriage body, in particular into the longitudinal supports.

Preference is given to the undercarriage support initially extending downwards from the longitudinal support and being angled or bent at a height lying at a level lower than the height of the longitudinal supports, wherein the undercarriage support changes to an approximately horizontal section at the angle or bend, which section extends at the distance to the base of the carriage body. Preference is given to another angle or bend located on the opposing side, at which the undercarriage support changes to a second section that likewise extends from top to bottom or from bottom to top. In relation to a center plane extending in the vertical direction as well as in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, the undercarriage support is preferably symmetrical or at least essentially symmetrical, i.e., symmetrical with the exception of fixing means with which the support is connected to the longitudinal supports and/or to the undercarriage devices.

The aforementioned plate-shaped elements serving as the cladding of the space below the carriage body base and connecting the undercarriage supports adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction preferably not only function as the cladding of the space but also preferably mutually support the adjacent undercarriage supports in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body and in diagonal directions. This gives rise to an inherently stable undercarriage structure. This also enables the arrangement of the undercarriage devices anywhere in the interior of the undercarriage construction and the selective connection thereof to one of the undercarriage supports and to the plate-shaped elements and/or the arrangement thereof on the plate-shaped elements. The plate-shaped elements are preferably coupled to the undercarriage supports by a non-positive locking connection.

The plate-shaped elements can in particular be extruded plate-shaped elements in which a plurality of air chambers is arranged between two sheet metal areas running approximately parallel to one another, said air chambers being separated from one another by partitions running in a longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped element. Such extruded plate-shaped elements can preferably be made of aluminum and are preferably bolted to undercarriage supports. Several plate-shaped elements can be produced separately in the extrusion press process and then joined, in particular welded together prior to installation on the undercarriage supports. The lateral walls and the base of the carriage body can also be produced, at least partly, from such plate-shaped elements. If the lateral walls, the base, and an additional ceiling element are prefabricated, essentially plate-shaped elements, reference is made to an integral construction of the carriage body. The undercarriage supports are particularly suited for such a carriage body, wherein longitudinal supports can also be produced in the transitional region between the base and the lateral walls in the extrusion press process. In particular for the longitudinal supports, however, other constructions such as standard T beams, i.e., I beams, are possible.

Preference is given to arranging a guide on each longitudinal support by which a movement of an end of the undercarriage support can be guided in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body. Provision is made of a fixing device by which the undercarriage support can be selectively fixed in a plurality of different positions relative to the longitudinal support. During the initially assembly or eventual remodeling of the carriage body, the undercarriage supports can thus be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body and re-fixed. Different configurations of undercarriage devices can thus be fixed to the undercarriage structure. The positions of the undercarriage supports can be selected and adjusted on basis of the dimensions and weight of the undercarriage devices. The guide can be produced from, for example, one or more C-profile rails open below. Alternatively, however, the upper ends of the undercarriage supports can be fixed to another substructure mounted on the lower face of the base.

As already mentioned, a plurality of undercarriage supports can be arranged in different longitudinal positions in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, each support extending below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support. For example, 5-8 such supports can be arranged below the base of a high capacity passenger coach for accommodating the undercarriage devices needed for operating a train coach. Preference is given to the location of all undercarriage supports in the longitudinal section between the two bogies of the carriage. However, this does not exclude the accommodation of one or two undercarriage supports in the end region of the carriage body as well, i.e., on the ends in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body. However, the coupling for hooking the coach up to an adjacent coach is also typically located in this region, hence little space is available for the undercarriage devices.

At least two undercarriage supports adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body can be connected to one another by at least one longitudinal strut. The longitudinal strut does not have to extend exactly in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, but can also extend diagonally. The use of longitudinal struts represents an alternative or additional measure to the use of plate-shaped connections (also referred to as plate-shaped elements in the preceding) for bracing the undercarriage structure. If for example use is made of a plurality of longitudinal struts rather than rigid plate-shaped elements, the substructure can be configured in a very rigid and lightweight manner and is only clad with, say, thin and non-bearing elements for improving the aerodynamics. A plurality of such longitudinal struts results in a distribution of the weight exerted by the undercarriage devices such that such a structure is particularly advantageous if undercarriage devices with very different weights are to be accommodated below the base.

Preference is given to at least one of the plate-shaped elements, and particular preference is given to all of the plate-shaped elements that form a lateral cladding of the undercarriage space having an opening closed by a hatch, wherein the hatches can be opened as needed in order to gain access to the undercarriage space.

Particularly in the end region of the undercarriage structure, for example in the vicinity of a bogie, an undercarriage support can be supported by an additional support on the base of the carriage body and/or on one of the longitudinal supports. For example, at least one longitudinal support can extend diagonally in the direction of travel from the low-lying area of the undercarriage support upwards to the base or longitudinal support. Such a support stabilizes the undercarriage structure. In the event of a collision of the rail vehicle, for example, it is thus possible to prevent the undercarriage structure from bending in the longitudinal direction due to its inertia and thus individual parts from being hurled out of the undercarriage space, or even prevent the entire undercarriage structure from sliding forward on its own in the direction of travel.

Depending on the load status of the carriage body, the carriage body may bend downwards slightly. Deformation forces are thus exerted on the undercarriage structure. Preference is given to the undercarriage supports and the additional elements of the structure being configured and joined to one another in such a way that the undercarriage structure is likewise deformable. In order to permit this, the additional support and/or a fixing connection between the undercarriage supports and the additional support is/are configured so as to be elastically deformable.

Such an elastic configuration can also be chosen for the connection of two adjacent undercarriage supports in the longitudinal direction or for a fixing connection between a connection (e.g., between a longitudinal support and an undercarriage support).

Also within the scope of the invention is a rail vehicle with a carriage body in one of the embodiments described or to be described later on. At least one device used for operating the rail vehicle is arranged in the space between the undercarriage support and the base. The device exerts its entire weight directly or indirectly on the undercarriage support. In particular the device is positioned from above on the carriage support and/or structural element of the undercarriage structure connecting two adjacent or a plurality of undercarriage supports to one another (e.g., plate-shaped elements and/or longitudinal struts). In contrast to prior art solutions, the devices are positioned on the undercarriage structure below the base of the carriage body rather than suspended below the base. The advantages of this solution, in particular the flexibility and maintenance friendliness thereof, have already been mentioned.

Also within the scope of the invention is a method for producing a carriage body for a rail vehicle, in particular a carriage body for a high-speed train, with the following steps:

Provision of a base and two longitudinal supports,

Connection of the longitudinal supports to the base,

Fixing of an undercarriage support to the longitudinal supports so that the undercarriage support extends below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support and a space for receiving at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is formed between the undercarriage support and the base,

Provision of two lateral walls,

Connection of the base to the lateral walls so that the lateral walls extend upwards from the base and so that the base and the lateral walls delimit an interior of the carriage body for transporting persons and/or goods, wherein one of the longitudinal supports for transmitting forces extends in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body in each transitional region between the base and the lateral walls.

Preference is given to provision of the longitudinal supports in such a way that they extend in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body to be produced. The aforementioned steps do not have to be (or do not all have to be) carried out in this sequence. The previous listing is therefore not a sequence for carrying out the steps. Obviously the longitudinal supports and the undercarriage support must be present initially so that they can be joined together. However, it is possible, for example, not to connect the base to the longitudinal supports or not to finish the base until the longitudinal supports and the undercarriage support have already been connected to one another. Nor is it compulsory to connect the lateral walls to the base via the longitudinal supports afterwards. It is also possible to carry out this step prior to connecting the longitudinal supports to the undercarriage support.

Embodiments of the method and advantages thereof will emerge from the description of the carriage body and the rail vehicle. In one embodiment of the method, for example, not only the carriage body but the entire rail vehicle is produced, wherein in the space between the undercarriage support and the base at least one device is arranged for operating the rail vehicle in such a way that the device exerts its entire weight directly or indirectly on the undercarriage support.

The undercarriage devices can be, for example, tanks for fluids, pumps for fluids, power distributors, and electric and electronic control mechanisms, as well as brake modules, transformers, and other control devices.

In a manner deviating from the basic concept of supporting the devices on the undercarriage supports, particularly heavy devices such as the main transformer of a drive mechanism for driving the rail vehicle can be suspended from the base of the carriage body. The substructure formed by the at least one undercarriage support and optionally other elements can therefore have a less sturdy and therefore lighter configuration than it would need for supporting this particularly heavy device as well.

Preference is given to the upper ends of the undercarriage supports being configured longer in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body than the longitudinal extension of the support from the one side of the carriage body to the other. Thanks to this broader configuration of the end regions, when fixed on the base of the carriage body or on the longitudinal support, the [undercarriage] support is additionally reinforced and secured against bending in the longitudinal direction. For example, so-called gusset plates can be arranged in this end region, in which there is a plurality of through-bores through which screws or bolts can be inserted for fixing the support on the base or on the longitudinal supports of the carriage body. An example of embodiment will be discussed in more detail.

Examples of embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawing. The individual figures of the drawing show:

FIG. 1 a three dimensional view of an undercarriage support,

FIG. 2 the undercarriage support of FIG. 1, wherein the support is connected on its opposing ends to each longitudinal support of a carriage body,

FIG. 3 an arrangement with a plurality of undercarriage supports spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of a carriage body, which are each connected to one another in pairs by longitudinal struts,

FIG. 4 the arrangement in FIG. 3, wherein the structure further comprises plate-shaped elements with which the undercarriage space is clad,

FIG. 5 a schematic lateral view of an arrangement with three undercarriage supports arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction, wherein one of the supports is secured on the base of the carriage body by an additional support,

FIG. 6 a schematic lateral view of another arrangement of undercarriage supports positioned behind one another in the longitudinal direction, wherein a bracing structure with longitudinal struts and diagonal struts is arranged between two of the supports,

FIG. 7 a preferred embodiment of a means for fixing an upper end of an undercarriage support on two parallel C-profile rails (not shown in FIG. 7),

FIG. 8 a cross-section through the arrangement in FIG. 7, wherein the end of the undercarriage support is fixed on the two C-profile rails,

FIG. 9 an arrangement as in FIG. 3, wherein a plurality of undercarriage devices is arranged in the undercarriage space,

FIG. 10 a part of an undercarriage support on which are fixed two plate-shaped elements extending in both directions away from the support in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body and forming a lower compartment of the undercarriage space,

FIG. 11 the arrangement according to FIG. 10, also in a three dimensional representation from another viewing angle, wherein the undercarriage support and the two plate-shaped elements are represented in their entirety, and

FIG. 12 the arrangement according to FIG. 10 in a three dimensional representation, in which the view is directed to the lower face of the arrangement.

FIG. 1 shows a single undercarriage support 1 with a U profile in which the cross member 4 is clearly configured longer than the longitudinal members 2 a, 2 b extending in the vertical direction. On the upper end of the first longitudinal member 2 a as well as on the upper end of the second longitudinal member 2 b, both of which extend approximately in the vertical direction though slightly inwardly inclined from top to bottom, there is a T-shaped widening 5 a, 5 b ending in a plate-shaped fixing surface, each surface having a plurality of through-bores 6 of which only a few are designated with these reference signs in FIG. 1. In order to provide additional stability to the support in the region of the transition between the longitudinal members 2 and the cross member 4, there is a diagonal strut 3 a, 3 b in each transitional region connecting a middle region of the longitudinal member 2 diagonally to the cross member 4. In this case the term “longitudinal member” does not refer to the longitudinal direction of the carriage body.

In the upper region of the longitudinal member 2, an additional support 9 a, 9 b is optionally fixed in each case to the inside face of the longitudinal member 2 in order to fix, e.g., an additional cladding element of the carriage body base (not shown in FIG. 1).

In each transitional region between the longitudinal members 2 and the cross member 4 there is a plurality of boreholes 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 10 d, specifically on the surface oriented to the left visible in FIG. 1 and on the surface of the support 1 oriented backwards to the right, which is not discernible in FIG. 1. These two surfaces oriented forwards and backwards to the left and right are formed in the aforesaid transitional region by sheet-like regions of the material of the support 1, wherein said material regions extend parallel to one another and are spaced apart from one another. Hence it is also possible to secure, for instance, a head of a screw or tighten a nut in the clearance between the two material regions. These boreholes 10 are for fixing longitudinal struts via which the support 1 is connected to adjacent supports in the longitudinal direction.

The support 1 is made of, for example, aluminum. It can be manufactured from a plurality of individual parts. For example, the diagonal strut 3 is produced separately and then connected to the longitudinal strut 2 and the crosswise strut 4 afterwards. The connection regions are not illustrated in any further detail in FIG. 1. However, it is also possible to produce each of the material regions forming the surface oriented forwards and backwards to the left and right of the support 1 as a single piece and connect them to one another via a sheet metal strip, which forms the outside surfaces of the longitudinal member 2 and the downward oriented surface of the cross member 4. Furthermore, another sheet metal strip forming the inside surfaces of the longitudinal members 2 and of the diagonal struts 3 and also the upward oriented surface of the cross member 4 can be attached subsequently. The required joint connections are produced, for example, by welding.

On the surface of the cross member 4 oriented forward to the left there are four additional supports 7 a, 7 b, 7 c, 7 d with boreholes running in the vertical direction, wherein such support elements are also arranged on the side of the cross member 4 oriented backwards to the right or at least can be arranged thereon if the support 1 is not the last support in the longitudinal direction. These support elements 7 can be used for positioning and connecting to plate-shaped elements or as fixing points for the fixing of undercarriage devices.

The cross member 4 further comprises a plurality of through-openings 8 through which, for example, cables or lines for liquids or gases can be fed. In this manner, for example, connecting lines for undercarriage devices can be fed through the support 1 and are thus partially fixed by the latter in terms of their position.

FIG. 2 shows the support 1 of FIG. 1 with its cross member 4 and its longitudinal members 2 a, 2 b, wherein the longitudinal members 2 are each fixed on the lower face of one of the longitudinal supports 24 a, 24 b of a rail vehicle carriage body. Besides the longitudinal supports 24, which preferably extend nearly the entire length of the carriage body (the longitudinal extension runs in a direction perpendicular to the image plane of FIG. 2), a base 13 and the lower sections of two lateral walls 11 a, 11 b of the carriage body are also represented. The base 13 in the example of embodiment is composed of five plate-shaped elements 12 that are welded together. The hollow chamber structure and the base 13 and also the longitudinal support 24 can be discerned. Preference is given to extruded aluminum profiles. The roof region (not shown in FIG. 2) and the lateral walls (which except for the lower sections are not shown in FIG. 2) can also be similarly constructed from extruded aluminum profiles.

A rectangle 15 on the cross member 4 of the undercarriage support 1 in FIG. 2 indicates that undercarriage devices can be arranged in the undercarriage space between the base 13 and the cross member 4.

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement with a total of eight undercarriage supports 101-108 arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction, all of which are configured in the manner illustrated in, for example, FIG. 1 and in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the individual supports 101-108 extend transversely to the longitudinal direction and have a U-shaped profile when viewed in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Between the undercarriage supports 105 and 106 there is an additional strut 110 a, 110 b on each opposing side, which can be configured similarly to the longitudinal struts 2 of the support 1 as in FIGS. 1 and 2. Unlike the undercarriage supports 101-108, however, the additional struts 110 are not connected by a cross strut.

The undercarriage supports 101-108 are each connected in pairs on both sides of the carriage body by a longitudinal strut 121-128 and 131-138 running in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body. In the special example of embodiment, there is not just one longitudinal strut between the support 105 and the support 106 on each side, but a first longitudinal strut 125 (or 135 on the other side), which connects the support 105 to the additional struts 110, and also a longitudinal strut 126, 136 on each side that connects the additional strut 110 to the support 106. The connections of all longitudinal struts 121-128 and 131-138 are each produced in the transitional region between the partial strut of the support extending approximately in the vertical direction and the cross strut of the support extending approximately in the horizontal direction. The boreholes 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, are for fixing the longitudinal struts. For example, threaded rods with outer threads on the end face of a longitudinal strut are introduced into the boreholes 10 and secured on the opposing side of the borehole with nuts.

The undercarriage structure with U-profile undercarriage supports and longitudinal struts on the opposing sides illustrated in FIG. 3 represents an embodiment for a stable structure. Such longitudinal struts extending in the longitudinal direction, however, are not compulsory. For example, the function of the longitudinal struts can be assumed by correspondingly stably configured plate-shaped elements, which are arranged between the undercarriage supports disposed adjacently to one another in pairs and connected to the supports.

Another possibility consists of configuring the undercarriage structure in the manner shown in FIG. 3 with U-profile undercarriage supports and longitudinal supports extending in the longitudinal direction and attaching additional plate-shaped elements as cladding. Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 4. The same reference signs in FIGS. 4 and 3 designate the same elements. On the lower face of the U-profile undercarriage supports 101-108 are mounted plate-shaped cladding elements 144 a -144 h, which form the base of the undercarriage space. It is also possible, as shown for the plate-shaped element 144 f, for the plate-shaped cladding elements to have a cut-out 139 so that the undercarriage space is accessible from below through said cut-out 139 or so that an undercarriage device for which the height of the undercarriage space is not sufficient or which should not be arranged in a closed space can protrude through the cut-out. Such a cut-out 139 can be particularly useful for cooling the undercarriage device, wherein the airstream cools the lower face of the device. As indicated for the plate-shaped cladding elements 144 g, there can also be a ventilation grill in the cladding so that an air exchange can take place.

Furthermore, the lateral surfaces of the support structure shown in FIG. 4 can also be clad with plate-shaped elements 141. A trough with a U profile closed on three sides except for the cut-out 139 and delimiting the undercarriage space is formed in this manner. Preference is given to each of the plate-shaped elements on the lateral surfaces having a hatch 140 (as shown for element 141 c, 141 d, 141 e) and/or also a ventilation grill.

On the end face of the structure oriented forward to the left in FIG. 4, provision can be made of two shock absorber elements (not shown), which are connected to the transitional region of the support 108 between the cross member thereof and the longitudinal members thereof extending approximately in the vertical direction. These shock absorber elements enable bracing against additional support means (not illustrated in FIG. 4), said shock absorber elements elastically deforming under load stress and thus also enabling in particular a deformation of the support structure relative to the additional support.

As indicated on a place on the right on the lateral cladding 141, said lateral cladding 141 can have at least one closable opening such as a hatch 140 or a door or a detachable cladding element so that the space inside the undercarriage structure is accessible.

FIG. 5 shows three undercarriage supports 101, 102, 103 arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 5), e.g., three of the supports illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The support 101 illustrated in FIG. 5 right is the last support in the longitudinal direction. As in the structure according to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, it is connected via a longitudinal support 131 to the adjacent support 102, which is in turn connected via a longitudinal support 132 to the next support 103.

The end side support 101 is supported on the base 13 of the carriage body by an additional support 155, 156, 157. The base 13 is configured as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. The additional support has a diagonal strut 155 extending diagonally upwards to the base 13 from the support 101 below, which is connected on its upper end to a longitudinal strut 157 running parallel to and on the lower face of the base, which is connected on its opposing end to an upper region of the support 101. An additional support strut 156 braces the middle region of the diagonal strut 155 against the second end of the longitudinal strut 157.

Other additional supports of this nature are also conceivable, for example, an additional support strut 156 may not be present, depending on how the diagonal strut 155 is configured. Optional omission of the longitudinal strut 157 is also possible. Preference is given to an additional support of the end side support 101 on both opposing sides of the carriage body such that, for example, both transitional regions of the support 101 where the longitudinal strut running in the vertical direction changes to the transverse strut running approximately in the horizontal direction are braced against the base 13 of the carriage body.

FIG. 6 shows a brace 158, 159, 160 between two adjacent undercarriage supports 105, 106. The arrangement illustrated in FIG. 6 can be, for example, a part of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. A total of four undercarriage supports 104, 105, 106, 107 arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction can be discerned In FIG. 6. Also discernible are longitudinal struts 124 between the supports 104, 105 and longitudinal struts 127 between the supports 106, 107 and also the base 13 of the carriage body. The brace has a frame 158 in which the frame element running in the vertical direction is arranged on the longitudinal struts of the supports 105 or 106, which struts also run in the vertical direction. A longitudinal strut of the frame 158 extending in the longitudinal direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 6) of the rail vehicle or carriage body is positioned below and above on each support 105, 106. Additional bracing of the frame 158 is provided by two diagonal struts 159, 160 crossing one another.

This gives rise to a very stable structure that prevents the collapsing of the undercarriage structure with the supports 104, 105, 106, 107 in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body.

FIG. 7 shows a three dimensional representation of one of the upper ends of an undercarriage support, for example the support 1 according to FIG. 1. The same reference signs as in FIG. 1 designate the same parts. The surface formed by a plate-shaped area on the upper end of the support has in particular the total of eight boreholes 6 represented in FIG. 1, which cannot be discerned in FIG. 7 because a screw 85 extends through each borehole 6, which is secured from loosening and falling out by a nut 87 in its lower end region. Each pair of screws 85 holds a channel element 71 exhibiting an unchanging cross-sectional profile (running from right to left and backwards and forwards in FIG. 7) in the longitudinal direction and having a U-shaped profile in the example of embodiment.

As FIG. 8 shows, these channel elements 71 can be arranged in C-shaped channels 83, 84, wherein the opening of the channels 83, 84 to the back enables the passage of the shafts of the screws 85. Between the plate-shaped upper end of the longitudinal strut 2 a and the screw 87 there is in each case a spacer ring 81 a, 81 b, which simplifies assembly and results in uniform pressing of the parts to be screwed together when the nuts 87 are tightened. The channel elements 71 prevent the heads of the screws 85 from turning.

The C-profile channels 83, 84 running parallel to one another are preferably arranged on the lower face of one of the longitudinal supports 24 (longitudinal support 24 a in the example of FIG. 8). The corresponding region in the special embodiment of FIG. 2 is located below the longitudinal support 24 a and is identified by an arrow with the reference sign 83 in order to indicate that, among other things, the channel 83 is located in this region. The channels 83, 84 and corresponding channels on the other side of the carriage body on the other longitudinal support do not have to extend over the entire length of the longitudinal support. Instead the channels extend, for example, over a longitudinal section along which the longitudinal position of the undercarriage support is freely adjustable.

The undercarriage devices illustrated in FIG. 9 are arranged in the undercarriage space, which is delimited, for example, by the undercarriage structure explained with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The same reference signs in FIGS. 3, 4, and 9 designate the same parts. For example, the undercarriage devices are various fluid containers 201, 202, a power distribution mechanism 204, a ventilation mechanism 205, gas containers 206, a transformer 207, rectifiers 208, and also a cooling mechanism 209. All of these devices are preferably positioned on a plate-shaped element and/or a support of the undercarriage structure so that the entire weight thereof or at least nearly the entire weight thereof is exerted on the U-profile undercarriage supports 101-108.

The partial representation of an undercarriage support 1 and two plate-shaped elements 91 a, 91 b shown in FIG. 10 reveal that it is possible to dispense with longitudinal struts connecting adjacent undercarriage supports. Once again reference signs that are the same as in the other figures designate the same parts. Hence the support 1, for example, is the support shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. However, plate-shaped elements can also be bolted on from below or otherwise fixed from below in other embodiments of U-profile undercarriage supports, as will be described with reference to FIGS. 10-12.

The plate-shaped elements 91 a, 91 b are equipped with a profile with a Y-shaped vertical cross-section on each of their ends arranged at a slight distance to one another in the region of the support 1, which profile encompasses the end of the plate-shaped support 91 and has a plate-shaped part extending away from the end, which part has through-bores for the passage of screws 93 (see FIG. 12). The lower face of the support 1 is equipped with corresponding holes with inside threads in which the screws 93 are screwed. In the upside-down representation of FIG. 12, which shows the underside of the arrangement, the heads of the screws 93 can be discerned. Also discernible are a spacer 98 underneath the head and the protruding plate-shaped element of the profile 94 underneath the spacer, which covers the lower face of the support 1. In this manner it is not only possible to fix two plates 91 on the lower face of the support 1 as shown in FIG. 11, but it is also possible to fix another four plates in the same manner, two of which are fixed symmetrically to the middle plane of the support on the other longitudinal strut 2 a and two other plates fill the clearance between the edge side plates. 

1-18. (canceled)
 19. A carriage body for a rail vehicle, comprising a base and lateral walls that extend upwards on opposing sides of the base and wherein the base and the lateral walls delimit an interior of the carriage body for transporting persons, goods, or persons and goods, wherein a longitudinal support for transmitting longitudinal forces is located in each transitional region between the base and the lateral walls, said longitudinal support extending in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body and wherein the carriage body has at least one undercarriage support that extends below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support, wherein the undercarriage support extends partly at a distance to the base so that a space for receiving at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is formed between the undercarriage support and the base, wherein the weight of the device acts on the undercarriage support.
 20. The carriage body as in claim 19, wherein the undercarriage support has a cross member extending at a distance to the base, which changes to one of two longitudinal members on each of its opposing ends, wherein the longitudinal members extend from bottom to top to the longitudinal support so that a U-shaped undercarriage support is formed and the space for receiving at least one device is formed between the cross member and the base.
 21. The carriage body as in claim 19, wherein a guide is arranged on each longitudinal support by which a movement of an end of the undercarriage support can be guided in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, and wherein provision is made of a fixing mechanism by which the undercarriage support can be selectively fixed in a plurality of different positions relative to the longitudinal support.
 22. The carriage body as in claim 19, wherein a plurality of the undercarriage supports is arranged in different longitudinal positions in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, each support extending below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support.
 23. The carriage body as in claim 22, wherein at least two undercarriage supports adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body are connected to each other by a plate-shaped connection, wherein the plate-shaped connection extends at a distance to the base.
 24. A rail vehicle with a carriage body as in claim 19, wherein at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is arranged in the space between the undercarriage support and the base, which device exerts its entire weight directly or indirectly on the undercarriage support.
 25. The rail vehicle as in claim 24, wherein at least one device for operating the rail vehicle exerts its weight, at least partly, directly from above on a plate-shaped connection as in claim
 22. 26. A method for producing a carriage body for a rail vehicle, comprising the steps of: provision of a base and two longitudinal supports, connection of the longitudinal supports to the base, fixing of an undercarriage support to the longitudinal supports so that the undercarriage support extends below the base from the one longitudinal support to the other longitudinal support and a space for receiving at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is formed between the undercarriage support and the base, provision of two lateral walls, and connection of the base to the lateral walls so that the lateral walls extend upwards from the base and so that the base and the lateral walls delimit an interior of the carriage body for transporting persons, goods, or persons and goods, wherein one of the longitudinal supports for transmitting forces extends in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body in each transitional region between the base and the lateral walls.
 27. The method as in claim 26, wherein the undercarriage support is formed by a cross member extending at a distance to the base, which changes to one of two longitudinal members on each of its opposing ends, wherein the longitudinal members extend from bottom to top to the longitudinal support so that a U-shaped undercarriage support is formed and the space for receiving at least one device is formed between the cross member and the base.
 28. The method as in claim 26, wherein a guide is arranged, formed, or arranged and formed on each longitudinal support, ends of the longitudinal support are arranged in, on, or in and on the guide, the undercarriage support is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body, wherein the ends of the undercarriage support are guided by the guide and wherein the ends of the undercarriage support are fixed in one of several possible positions relative to the longitudinal support.
 29. The method as in claim 26, wherein a plurality of the undercarriage supports is arranged in different longitudinal positions in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body such that each support extends below the base from one of the longitudinal supports to the other longitudinal support.
 30. The method as in claim 29, wherein at least two undercarriage supports adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the carriage body are connected to one another by a plate-shaped connection such that the plate-shaped connection extends at a distance to the base.
 31. A method for producing a rail vehicle, comprising the production of a carriage body as in claim 26 and wherein at least one device for operating the rail vehicle is arranged in the space between the undercarriage support and the base such that the device exerts its entire weight directly or indirectly on the undercarriage support.
 32. The method as in claim 31, wherein the device for operating the rail vehicle is arranged on the plate-shaped connection as in claim 31 in such a way that it exerts its weight, at least partly, directly from above on the plate-shaped connection. 